1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to vehicle accessories and more particularly to a tie-down system which is usable for securing various articles in the bed of a pick-up truck, and including the tie-down system in combination with a sleeping surface which is demountably held in the bed of the pick-up truck by the tie-down system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, pick-up trucks are multi-purpose utility vehicles. Some people use pick-up trucks for light hauling purposes, some people use them for camping and other recreational activities, while others use them for combinations of such uses.
Regardless of the use to which an owner puts his or her pick-up truck, an accessory or accessories are often added to the truck's bed to facilitate the intended usage.
In cases where light hauling is the intended use, an owner will often provide hardware to which rope is attached for the purpose of tying the carried articles down so that they will not bounce or be blown out of the pick-up's bed. The most commonly used hardware is a plurality of eye bolts or cleats which are bolted in holes that are drilled in the bed at various locations by the owner. However, most truck owners are reluctant to drill holes in the exterior surface of their truck bed because such holes detract from the appearance of the truck. Furthermore, eye bolts or cleats attached to the top edges of the bed are unsatisfactory because they interfere with the placement of a tonneau cover on the bed. As a result, none of the current tie-down systems are fully acceptable to the average truck owner.
In cases where the pick-up truck is intended for camping and recreational use, it is often desirable to provide some sort of a sleeping surface which can be easily stored, transported and set up in the bed of the truck so that the truck owner and passengers may simply pull off the road and sleep at their own convenience. Some owners keep cots or air mattresses in the back of their trucks, but neither of these provide as much comfort or are as easy to store as is generally desired.
There exists, therefore, a longfelt need in the art for a tie-down system which is usable for securing items in the back of a pick-up truck without detracting from the appearance of the truck or interfering with the placement of a tonneau cover, and which can be used in combination with a comfortable, easily stored sleeping surface.